The present invention relates essentially to an arrangement for preventing water from entering a fuel system of an internal combustion engine operated with a gasoline-methanol mixture as fuel.
Internal combustion engines, e.g., automobile engines, of a type operated with methanol or a gasoline-methanol mixture in place of gasoline have been known for many years. However, when a fuel mixture composed of gasoline and methanol is used, it has been found that the introduction of water to the fuel mixture causes it to separate into its constituent parts. Separation of the fuel mixture disadvantageously effects the operating behavior of the internal combustion engine. In particular, the fuel delivery device, e.g., the carburetor or other injection element, of the internal combustion engine is usually adjusted for operation with a fuel mixture having a constant composition. When the composition of the fuel is changed by its separation, the fuel supplied to the delivery device of the internal combustion engine no longer corresponds to the desired composition which is selected with regard to the specific operating conditions of the internal combustion engine. Moreover, when a gasoline-methanol mixture is used as fuel in an automobile, there is the danger that moisture contained in air flowing through a ventilating line of a fuel system may enter the fuel system resulting in the undesired separation of the fuel mixture.